LINCOLN, Neb. - Just five days removed from the holiday break, the Barton Community College track and field teams opened their indoor season this past weekend at the Holiday Inn Invitational, which was held on the campus of the University of Nebraska.

Barton Community College history instructor Linda McCaffery will continue her Kansas history series this spring with a discussion of how railroads impacted the settling of western Kansas. The class will meet from 1:30-3:30 p.m. every Tuesday, from Jan. 29 – April 9 in the Fine Arts Building, room F-30.

Barton County Extension Agent Donna Krug will present "Action Plan for Healthy Living" at noon Wednesday at the Great Bend Activity Center, 2715 18th St. This free one-hour Stop 'N Learn session is sponsored by the Great Bend Recreation Commission. It will be repeated at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at the Senior Center, 2005 Kansas Ave.

The Great Bend Seventh-day Adventist School Indian River citrus order has been changed. No navels are available. Any orders that have been placed for navels is canceled, but the grapefruit and tangelos are still available to be picked up between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, and on Monday, Jan. 21. Anyone who ordered navels and would like to change the order to tangelos is asked to call 620-791-7314 as soon as possible.

Community members who have experienced the death of a family member or friend are invited to attend the GriefShare program held at Foundry Methodist Church, 5401 Broadway, Great Bend. Meetings are at 3 p.m. on Sundays, beginning Jan. 20.

Tickets are on sale and auction items are being collected now for the Sunflower Diversified Services Charity Gala. This 8th annual event is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2, in the Heritage Room at the Highland Hotel, 3017 10th, Great Bend.

The Central Kansas Chorale, which is sponsored by Barton Community College, is recruiting singers for the spring 2013 season. The CKC strives to provide challenging performances of quality literature for the enjoyment of the residents of the Central Kansas area.

Joseph H. Hanks Jr., 81, died Jan. 11 at his home in Great Bend. Born July 11, 1931 in Emporia, he was the son of Joseph Howard Sr. and Edith (Yarger) Hanks. On Nov. 6, 1952 he married Ruth V. Eisenhower in ElDorado. She died on March 8, 2001. A Great Bend resident for six years, coming from Las Vegas, Nev., he was employed by the City of San Diego, Calif. as a mechanic.

HAYS - Janice Ulrich, 71, died Jan. 13 at Woodhaven Care Center in Ellinwood. Born Dec. 20, 1941 in New Rockford, N.D., she was the daughter of George and Evelyn (Olson) Caley. On Dec. 28, 1973 she married George Ulrich in Russell. He died on Jan. 14, 1997. A resident of Hays since 1974, coming from Russell, she was a homemaker.

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The Great Bend Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School is placing the spring order for frozen fruit from the Bithell Farms in Oregon. Place orders by Feb. 25 and the fruit will arrive in late March or early April. Available are Marion blackberries, red raspberries, boysenberries, blueberries, strawberries which are sliced and sugared, strawberries whole without sugar, loganberries, red pie cherries, dark sweet cherries, peaches, apricots, apples and red rhubarb. Also available are freezer jam and purees.

The Hoisington Wrestling team came as close as a team can come in not winning a team championship at the Central Kansas League tournament hosted by Hoisington this past Saturday. The team lost by just a mere 1/2 point to Smoky Valley High School. Making it even tougher on the Cardinals was that they had the fire power to have won the tournament, if they had been able to be at full strength. Gone from the lineup was one of their main cogs in senior Chance Boor at 195 lbs. Chance a state placer last year has been a ...

Former Great Bend High School wrestler Zachary Schridde qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association Wrestling Nationals in the 133-pound weight class. Schridde placed fourth for the Pratt Beavers on Feb. 14, at the West Central District Regionals hosted by Colby Community College. Eight colleges participated including colleges from Oklahoma and Arkansas. Pratt Community College Beavers qualified a total of seven of their nine wrestlers for the National Tournament on Feb. 27-28, held in Des Moines, Iowa. The Pratt Beavers are coached by Ken Kepley.

After rolling to a 4-0 start at home to start the 2015 season, the Barton Community College softball team hit the road for the first time Saturday. And it wasn't a short trip either. The Cougars traveled to far southeast corner of the state to battle Allen County in Iola.